The Ugly Duckling
by Azusa Mukami
Summary: Kashi Uzumaki isn't like the regular clan shinobi, nor was he like the civilians trading within Konoha. He was just... Kashi, Naruto's twin brother. Right?


The woman watched, and learned.

She seethed, and sympathized.

Mourned, and smiled.

Nobody in the Land of Fire would ever forget that day; the day crimson bathed the normally cheerful streets of Konoha, bringing with it the large, pale hands of the Shinigami.

Nine-tailed fox. The harbinger of death; red death; fox demon. She found that none of the names given to the demon truly fit, yet all were close. If one were to ask her what title would fit best, she would answer with _Shinigami Reaper_.

Her two beautiful sons, Honzo and Daichi, valiantly went to battle against the demon to no avail. Shinobi always had to fight no matter how improbable the situation was; no matter how hard she tried, neither would return home to her. Now, as tears silently poured down her face, the young woman couldn't help but seethe. Rumors had been passed ever since the Fourth Hokage's death (Kami bless the man) about who or _what_ had been responsible for the multiple deaths and destruction of the village.

 _Uchiha._

Why hadn't she thought of it sooner? Uchiha were the protectors of then civilians and the merchants, so why were they the cause of this? Their sharingan. She had heard that not only could it copy movements and abilities, it could also hypnotize others and predict the future! Could it not have controlled the Kyuubi as well?

She hadn't, and would never be the only one affected no matter how much she wished for peace and serenity. In the world of shinobi, peace was only an illusion (which was also an Uchiha specialty). Many shinobi _and_ civilians were murdered, so the amount of orphans rocketed sky-high. Clan children were fine (or so she thought) since they already had a large family anyway. It was the ones that weren't that were the problem. Honzo and Daichi had rambled on about protecting the next generation, so the young woman took their wishes to heart and started working in the orphanage closest to her home.

Daichi had always been a quiet boy with a knack for traps and illusions. _Genjutsu_ is what he called it, and she was fascinated and horrified at his sudden prowess in the academy. Hanzo, on the other hand, was alright with traps, but truly specialized in _ninjutsu_ and the elements. Shinobi and kunoichi alike were more susceptible to death, and she _knew_ there was no convincing them of retreating Out of the bodies left behind after the seemingly brief massacre, only Daichi's remained. She had forgotten the struggles and glory of being a mother. In the orphanage, most of the children were running around with bright smiles and excited grins. Some played ninja, tag, and/or hide-n-seek. A few read books under the shade of Konoha's giant trees which hid their village from enemies.

"H-hi…"

Then, there were two. Out of all the little ones, this woman could not **stand** the Yondaime's twins. That poor man had sacrificed both his and his wife's lives for these… abominations. She had forgotten which monster had which part, yet it didn't matter.

"H-hi..!"

An ugly scowl marred her face. "What?!"

The boy speaking to her was no taller than her hip. Wild red hair draped down to his neck while shining, emerald green eyes peered up at her through thick, crimson lashes. This one, she thought, embodied the fox. He was a healthy shade of tan because of the sun, though a bit on the malnourished side.

The child opened his mouth and then shut it. Opened it… then closed it again. She didn't understand _why_ , exactly, he was like this…not that she cared. He was a normal baby; crying when hungry or wet, babbling incoherently, etc. However, everything normal children completed seemed to develop later for him. There was a small amount of satisfaction in his stunted growth and for that; it brought a small smile to her face.

"I have red hair."

When the brat was one year and eight months old, his first steps had been taken. Six months after the other children as well as his brother. Two years after, he had learned how to speak. "Fox" was the first word spoken, and the young woman couldn't think a more obvious omen would arrive. Fortunately, the other twin's first word had been normal.

Personally, she wouldn't have cared much for any of the demons until the oldest one started his jubilant behavior: copying speech patterns and actions, repeating obvious facts, laughing at another child's pain. It was disturbing.

"I have red hair."

"You also have green eyes and dark skin," she murmured through gritted teeth. The boy beamed, jumping up and down excitedly while giggling (or snickering. At this moment, it reminded her of a puppy's yip).

"Yeah! Yeah! You, lady, has black hair!"

A true statement no matter how blatantly obvious. It made her seethe. "Where is your brother, Kashi?"

The toddler blinked, his wide grin slipping from his face instantly. _Tears won't amend for my lost sons, nor will they bring them back._ "Dunno. Naru? Naru, where you go?!"

From the crowd of little ones ranging from two to twelve, a blonde headed child with three whiskers on each cheek, sun-kissed skin, and twinkling blue eyes separated from his acquaintances and ran toward his twin. _He would have made for a beautiful child,_ the woman thought. _If not for him hosting the demon._ The blonde cast a weary glance at the young woman, grabbed a hold of his brother's hand, and slowly walked outside.

Kashi stumbled along with a big grin. "What you playin', Naru?! Fun? Naru having fun!"

There was something wrong with that monster with red hair. She couldn't stand how the blonde brat would smile and contaminate the other children with his laughter and presence, but the other one… the redheaded child was the definition of trouble; refusing to learn and play with the others, throwing temper tantrums whenever he couldn't do something as easily as the others. She couldn't take it anymore! The twins were four now and they would have to fend for themselves.

 _Besides, the Hokage seemed to dote on them every time he visited… They would be fine._ Ignoring the pit of guilt sinking within her stomach, the woman left the children to play and went to write to the Sandaime.

* * *

One Iruka Umino stood in the center of his new class, glancing around at the year's new prospects. This year's class had a great number of clan members: Uchiha, Yamanaka, Inuzuka, Nara, Aburame, etc. It was a little startling considering most were in the same age range as well. He would be the one solely responsible if something were to happen to them while within the academy. In fact, more than half of the clan members within his class were _heirs_ , so he had to be careful.

However, Iruka believed that if they all were to graduate, they'd make some of the best shinobi within Konoha. That was his job; educating and preparing Konoha's new ninja to be prudent, cooperative, and effective. There were two problems to the ideology this year. For one, the ratio of significant clan members to civilians was staggering! Chakra from the Kyuubi had hastened the births of many kunoichi who were able to withstand the killer intent, meaning the children enrolled were all born from unnatural circumstances. Moreover, Iruka himself would be the one responsible for any occurrences that happened on academy grounds; something, in fact, he wasn't happy about.

Not that the Sandaime cared any for his qualms this year, for his favored two monsters were attending as well. Although Iruka wouldn't admit it, there was no way Konoha could lose that source of power to any other village. To the Shinigami, however…

"Alright! Quiet down and take your seats!"

With little resistance, the children giggled and ran towards who they knew to sit.

"Hullo!"

The academy instructor's mood diminished instantly. It was amazing how much he looked like the Fourth's wife. As a side thought, he wondered if the little rapscallion had the same fiery temperament.

"I'm a monster! RAWR!" The kid bared his teeth, green eyes widened to the size of saucers while his hands posed to claw _something_ out.

Now that was a different reaction than expected. If the brunette were to be honest with himself, there was almost nothing abnormal with him. "…Right. Where is your brother, Kashi?"

The claws dropped to his side. "Dunno where Naru is, Sensei. I see a lotta people, Sensei. Don't see Naru."

Iruka groaned. "Then why don't you sit next to…" Brown eyes glanced over the room, eyes resting on an empty seat and the occupant next to it. "Ah. Why don't you sit next to Sasuke?"

Green eyes widened in excitement, and the chunin couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face. The brat was so excited to run to the seat next to the youngest Uchiha that his energy pumped into his legs, leaving an indent on the floor, and quickened his pace so he practically flew toward the surprised boy. To say that Iruka was shocked would be an understatement. Unlocking chakra unintentionally was one thing. To do it in front of an instructor… That was a plain insult! Against better judgement, Iruka shot a glare to the young Uzumaki and proceeded on to teaching.

* * *

 **I don't exactly known what I'm trying to accomplish with this fan fiction. Alternative universes have always been my passion, but to make it into a story with modern characteristics... would be interesting. There are a few notable changes with canon. For one, Naruto isn't the only Uzumaki to be birthed from Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki. Second, not all citizens of Konoha are dense and oblivious. More changes to come, of course, but where's the fun in spoilers?**


End file.
